


Roy

by RiderPhantomhive



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Feels, Genderfluid Character, M/M, Transgender Male Character, lots of feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 03:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4084270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiderPhantomhive/pseuds/RiderPhantomhive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's hated the color pink for as long as he can remember. Because, wherever there's pink, there are pink walls and pink dresses and pink bows, and pink frills and even though people keep telling him he should like it. He just...can't</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roy

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beautiful Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/works/951656) by [AeeDee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeeDee/pseuds/AeeDee). 



> So after reading Beautiful Girl by AeeDee, even though I loved the story with all my heart...it drove me a little crazy to see Roy's history being ignored and that got me wanting a fic where it wasn't....
> 
> Then...this happened.
> 
> So, as you can see. This fanfiction talks about a serious subject matter and I have done some serious research to make sure that I don't offend anybody and I hope that I've gotten everything right.
> 
> Please don't be an ass.

He's barely two years old and he despises the color pink.

For all his life the color pink had been associated with things that are annoying and gross.

Pink walls, pink dresses, pink bows, pink frills…he's fed up with it all.

If he had to choose his favorite color, he'd have to pick the color red. He'd pick the color red like his hair.

He loves his hair.

He loves how short it is.

He loves how easy it is for his father to deal with…

* * *

He hates the  _frillymessytangled_  color pink.

* * *

He's seven years old, walking with Brave Bow and the Navajo chief cracks a rare smile.

"You've done well today, Rae."

"Roy."

" _Roy_?"

"…My name is Roy."

Another smile, "Well then,  _Roy,_ what do you want for dinner?"

"I can choose?"

"You've finally outshot me today; I think it's only fair…"

"…Tacos."

"I can work with that."

* * *

His name is  _Roy_  Harper.

* * *

He's now eight and the entire village despises him.

All he said was that he wanted to settle down and have children with a nice  _girl._ What's so wrong with that?....Why didn't they want him?

Still, even his closest friend Kai leaves him behind with a disgusted look on her face.

His name is Roy William Harper and he is a  _boy_.

* * *

Isn't he?

* * *

He's now nine and he hated the woman assigned to him as she did nothing but shame him for who he was.

She had ranted on and on about how he was a  _girl_  and that he should wear pink dresses and keep his legs together and that his bow and arrows don't suit ' _a proper young lady like herself_.'

When thrown in the room with the other little orphan girls, he didn't understand a single thing the woman said.

He's still confused as to why the nasty blonde woman called him a 'proper young lady.'

* * *

It just felt  _wrong_.

* * *

He's still nine years old and they've forced him to grow his hair to his shoulders.

Roy despised it.

The woman yelled at him and said something along the lines of: "nobody will ever adopt such a frumpy looking girl such as yourself!"

He gets slapped when he tells her that he's a boy.

On the bright side, when running away from the evil woman, he had found his bow and quiver full of arrows in the attic.

They still smell like the forest and Roy calms down just a little bit.

He notices his reflection in a mirror to his right and stares in shock.

Curly red hair down to his shoulders, big baby blue eyes, tan skin and that stupid  _pink_ dress they've stuck him in.

* * *

He was a boy…Wasn't he?

* * *

There's an archery contest in the park and  _Green Arrow_ is judging it!

One of the girls he's forced to room with perks up with glee and begs to go…Of course the woman says no.

She hated anything that wasn't feminine.

Roy slipped away from the table; he just  _knew_ he could win the entire thing…

But if Kelsey couldn't go…then how would he be able to?

* * *

The woman still thinks he's a girl too.

* * *

Roy grabs his bow and quiver and changes into the one outfit he'd brought with him when he came to this hellhole.

He smiles at the familiar red tunic, he practically dances with glee as he slides on the tan pants, he sighs in comfort when he straps the quiver to his back, he just feels  _right_ when he pulls the bow back…

His hair is too long…

He takes an arrow and uses the tip to cut it to his liking; it's a choppy job, but he thinks it looks just fine.

* * *

His hat fits perfectly now.

So he  _runs_.

* * *

Roy ran to the park in the middle of the night and climbed up the nearest tree.

He's missed the feeling of dirt on his hands.

* * *

For the first time in a month, he falls asleep with a  _smile_.

* * *

Roy woke up to the sound of people gathering in the park.

The contest had yet to start.

_Thank god._

He sat on his high perch and ate the apple he stole last night.

The woman will kill him when he returns…but…Who's to say he'll actually return?

Roy drops to the forest floor and watches the contestant's line up 90 meters (295 feet) away from the target. He gasps when  _GREEN ARROW, THE GREEN ARROW_ walks across the green asking everyone to play fairly.

Roy nods, promising that he will.

He's 30 meters (98 feet) away from the contestants, which means he's 120 meters (393 feet) away from the target.

Green Arrow takes the target on the far left and shoots an arrow exactly in the middle of the target as a reference to the other archers.

* * *

Roy can't help but smirk as he splits the arrow exactly down the middle.

* * *

Roy's running for his life.

He didn't think this through!

_He didn't think this through!_

He'd now running for his life because  _Green Arrow_ is chasing him and when Roy gets caught his  _hero_ is going to send him back to that hell of a home because he's not crossing his legs or wearing pink dresses or growing his hair long or being a lady even though he's a boy!

* * *

He hides in another tree.

* * *

Green Arrow doesn't send him back to the home after all.

He just invites Roy to officially take place in the contest.

...

* * *

Of course he says yes.

* * *

Roy didn't miss!

He never missed!

His eyes widened through the mask of an old Ribbon the woman forced him to wear. (That'll teach her to enforce her femaleness on him! Ha!)

Luckily, Green Arrow had believed him when his arrow flew from its straight course to the target, to the metal pole on the other side of the field.

* * *

Who could've done that?

* * *

Roy quickly got his answer as he saw a man trying to sneak away with the Arrowcar.

_Thwi~ip!_

Roy fired a quick arrow and pinned the offending man to the nearest tree.

Green Arrow could only stare in shock.

"That was the fastest shot I've ever seen! What's your name,  _boy?_ "

Roy's chest swelled with pride; he had felt better about himself than he had ever felt before.

* * *

"Thank you…"

* * *

He's now 10 years old and living with Oliver Queen.

He has to admit, even though Ollie is busy a lot and doesn't get to spend much time here…It's the best home he's ever had.

Ollie had told that stuffy old woman to go 'shove it' and took Roy away from that place into his loving arms.

Ollie had bought Roy Racecars and Legos.

Ollie had painted his room beautiful,  _beautiful_   _Red_.

Ollie had encouraged his archery and taught him how to fight.

Ollie had been the second person to ever agree that Roy was a  _boy_.

(Ollie even gave him this god awful nickname to show his affection: 'RoyBoy'…Seriously?)

* * *

He absolutely loves it.

* * *

He just turned eleven and Ollie introduced him to his girlfriend.

At first he was afraid because she was blonde and tall like that mean,  _mean_  woman; but then she knelt down to his height and  _smiled_ and he knew everything would be alright.

"My name is Dinah Lance. What's yours?" She held out her hand for him to shake.

"Roy. My name is Roy William Harper." He took it with the firmest grip he had.

* * *

Roy really liked this woman.

* * *

He's now twelve and Dinah and Ollie married.

He had been the ring bearer, of course.

* * *

It's an awkward little family unit and he absolutely loves it.

* * *

He's thirteen and he just became  _Green Arrow's…_ No,  _Ollie's,_ partner and he's absolutely terrified.

Hands are places he's been told are bad, electricity arcs up and down his spine and his arm feels like it's being ripped off and he wants to go home because  _"OlliepleasehelpmeOllieplease!They'rehurtingmeOllie!Pleasestopthem!"_

Wait…

What is that?

What is that picture?

Is that…a man?

* * *

' _Why don't I look like…that?_ '

* * *

Roy's not stupid.

He's just been severely under-educated about the entire subject of gender.

He wasn't a boy at all…

He was a girl.

So those lumps on his chest weren't just his pecs growing faster than the rest of his body…

They…They were breasts…

* * *

' _I'm…a girl?_ '

* * *

Roy wished he'd never went out to patrol that night, because if he did he would have never been caught and educated on what…or who he(she?) was…

Now, he(she?) dreaded the day she(he?) has to tell Ollie what he(she?) now knows….

However, as he(she?) lay cradled in Ollie's arms, with Dinah right beside him, sobbing because: " _Ollie!YoucameformeOllie!YousavedmeOllie!DinahYoucametoo!I'msohappy!Mommy!Daddy!I'msosorryIwascaught!Iwassoscared!"_

He had no idea how.

* * *

" _I really thought I was a boy..."_

* * *

It turns out he doesn't have to be afraid of what Ollie and Dinah will say, because he'll(She'll?) be loved no matter what happens, and no matter what he chooses.

So Roy(Rae?) tries.

She tries being a girl.

She tries growing her hair long and crossing her legs and wearing frilly pink dresses and…

He lasts for less than a week.

* * *

"MOMMY! DADDY! I'M BLEEDING! I'M DYING!"

* * *

It turns out he isn't dying.

It turns out the bleeding is a normal part of being a girl.

But he's bleeding and screaming and crying and aching and

_no_

_no_

_no_

_no_

_no_

_no_

_NO!_

She doesn't want this!

 _He_  doesn't want this!

He's a boy!

He's a boy!

* * *

"I'M A BOY."

* * *

Ollie just awkwardly combs a hand through his hair as Diana leads Roy into the bathroom to educate him about the bleeding and everything that goes along with

It takes everything Roy has not to puke.

* * *

"Mommy, Daddy? Was I born wrong?"

* * *

They send him to a therapist and she tells him that he  _is_ a boy and that he was  _not_  born wrong.

They start him on hormones and his period stops and he feels his body growing stronger and taller and he has an Adam's apple now and his voice is cracking and he feels like this could actually work…

Until he sees his rounded chest or bare crotch and he runs into the bathroom puking his guts out for hours and hours with Ollie or Dinah or both of them right next to him, rubbing circles into his back and telling him it's gonna be alright.

Roy hates his body, but he loves being Speedy. So he'll keep trying as hard as he can.

* * *

"Do I make a good boy, Ollie?"

"You make the best, Royboy."

* * *

He's sixteen when he meets Kid Flash. (However, in five minutes he revealed that his name was Wally, and that he was thirteen and that they were gonna be the "bestest of best friends!") And what are you talking about? Roy doesn't think the Kid is adorable at all.

Okay, maybe he does.

And maybe this kid causes him to laugh for the first time in a very long while and Roy has to look away to ignore the surprised look on Ollie's face.

* * *

He tries to laugh at more of Ollie's lame puns now.

* * *

He finds himself partnered up with Wally more now.

Like…a  _lot_ more.

And maybe he's beginning to see why the Flash loves the little punk so much, And Maybe Roy finds himself attracted to the kid because of his  _beautiful,beautifulRedhair_  and muscles and freckles and dorkiness and Goddammit!

He thought he was straight!

Maybe...he can just make an  _itsy bitsy_  exception for Wally…

* * *

' _But would he actually accept me?_ '

* * *

Roy grows older and older and he eventually leaves Ollie's side.

' _But why did I do it? I love him! I don't wanna leave him!'_

'… _But it's too late now…isn't it?_ '

* * *

What should he do after something like this?

* * *

He gains a new identity, 'Red Arrow' and Roy feels himself glow with pride as he finishes his costume.

But when he puts it on…It takes everything he has not to cry…because even though Ollie says it's okay,  _Bigboysdon'tcry_ and he's not with Ollie anymore…

But…

He looks amazing.

Roy looks amazing and handsome and perfect and not like a boy, but a  _man._

(And he might have spent the next three hours goofing off in front of the mirror because  _Jesus Christ_ this new costume was amazing!  _But he'll never admit it to anyone so shut up_.)

But was it actually just the costume?

So he takes the top off and gasps because his breasts stay in place because they're now more muscle than fat and could possibly be passed off as abnormally large pecs because they do exist (Have you seen Captain America of Thor?)

His legs and torso are well muscled and strong, and his face only goes soft in certain lightings and his Arms-  _Jesus Christ_ his arms are almost bigger than his face and they're so long and not slender and tiny and delicate like that woman said they needed to be and he's absolutely, positively perfect.

He wants to go show Ollie.

He wants to go show Dinah.

He wants to dance and jump around while singing in joy because  _look at his body._

And you know what? He's alone!

So that's exactly what he did.

* * *

' _It really does get better…_ '

* * *

Roy strides into the cave, feeling like a badass because he just saved that whiny professor from that Island full of assassins and he's feeling damn accomplished, okay?

But that's when Ollie decides to bring in  _her_ and his world falls apart.

"Roy, you look…" Ollie starts, Roy can hear the awe in his voice, but all Roy sees is Red. Not the beautiful red of Kid's hair, but the angry, horrible red of that bloody night so many years ago.

So he glares at Ollie and says " _Replaceable._ " With the most venom he can muster and he hurts.

He  _hurts_  because Ollie said she was 'his  _niece_ ' and Roy knows for a fact that Ollie doesn't have any brothers and sisters and he's close to breaking down because she's now his  _niece_ and she's wearing  _green_ and green was Ollie's color and nobody else's, (Except for the Green Lanterns and possibly Aquaman but…whatever.) and the Arrow on her chest, the chest that Roy used to have and it's like it all makes sense.

Ollie always wanted a daughter…didn't he?

But he's already here, and he doesn't want to leave looking completely like a jealous ass and the news he had oh-so-desperately wanted to share with Ollie and Dinah and the rest of the world flies out of importance as he grumpily tells the team -including the color stealing mythology reject- their mission.

* * *

' _Did you really want a daughter that much_?'

* * *

Ollie would hate him forever if he were to hurt the impostor, but…he could still threaten her.

"Don't. Hurt my friends." He says with a deep growl and he marvels at the fact that he can do that now.

He walks away, head high…but he's still wonders.

* * *

How much did Ollie actually tell her?

* * *

Wally had started to come over more often.

It started just after the first mission with the impostor and Wally cried because he  _drowned,_  and needed somebody to hold onto because everybody else was too busy talking to  _her._

But then he came over more and more and more and more and Roy didn't know what do to do with himself because his 'little' crush had decided to  _quintuple_ in size because at first it was just

"Please watch this movie with me!"

but then it was "Hey Roy~" and Wally would begin to massage his shoulders and talk about his day and ask Roy about his own and it was strangely domestic and he loved it.

* * *

He didn't want it to end…

* * *

But then Cheshire has to kiss him and everything is ruined because Artemis was yelling at him for kissing Cheshire and Wally was comforting Artemis for losing the bad guy, and Roy is jealous that Wally is ignoring him so he had outed Artemis and now Wally was yelling at Artemis and Roy couldn't take it so he just said some snarky comment and ran away and Wally ran away from Artemis and he doesn't really care about what Artemis does because he's just in his apartment trying to mull the whole thing over.

Wally comes knocking at his door blushing bright red and babbling out 'Because…I  _love_ you Roy' and Roy's world pieces itself back together as he babbles out his own confession to Wally and then they move to the couch and Wally kisses Roy and he kisses back and everything is just  _perfect._

* * *

Until Roy realizes he has to tell Wally…

* * *

It turns out Wally had his own secret.

He was a gender-fluid pansexual and he will never have any reason not to love Roy and Roy could just die of happiness right there.

Seriously, you could've heard his sigh of relief from space.

(And it probably was, considering the stalker the Batman was.

* * *

_"I love you, don't die…Okay?"_

_"Okay! Same goes to you too though!"_

* * *

Roy's now twenty one and married to Wally.

Sometimes he still has bad days, but Wally's always right there to help him through and no matter what happens or what people say…It will be alright.

It will always be alright because…

Wally will always be by his side.

* * *

"Let's start a family, Roy!"

"What."

* * *

And when Wally ends up giving him a heart attack, at least he's married to the world's fastest ambulance.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

_The End._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did...You like it?
> 
> I should probably say that this story is not directly connected to my "Because...I love you, Roy!" universe; however, it does contain certain aspects of it
> 
> So...I guess you could say it's an AU of an AU.
> 
> (Or should it be an UA of an AU?)
> 
> I...don't know...
> 
> So, I'll just place this here and hope i've done everything correctly...
> 
> Review?


End file.
